


blame me for the tragedies that follow

by Spannah339



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Birb Dad and Farm Son, Gen, Post Volume 7, Qrow Branwen Needs a Hug, Volume 7, basically qrow's reaction to learning oscar 'died'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26811793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spannah339/pseuds/Spannah339
Summary: “What did you do, James.”Qrow’s voice was low, dark, venomous with anger as the two Atlesian robots presented him to the general. A flicker of almost-relief crossed Ironwood’s face, but Qrow barely noticed, seeing only the steely determination from the man he had once called a friend.“I’m doing what needs to be done,” Ironwood said.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen & Oscar Pine
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	blame me for the tragedies that follow

**Author's Note:**

> Hey it’s something not Tangled! Anyway, finally got around to watching volume 7 and ended up with a lil drabble, I blame Zeeb for this and I don’t trust Rooster Teeth to fully explore the implications of people thinking Oscar is dead so I’m doing it myself.

“What did you _do_ , James.” 

Qrow’s voice was low, dark, venomous with anger as the two Atlesian robots presented him to the general. A flicker of almost-relief crossed Ironwood’s face, but Qrow barely noticed, seeing only the steely determination from the man he had once called a friend. 

“I’m doing what needs to be done,” Ironwood said. 

“No, you’re doing _exactly_ what _she_ wants,” Qrow said. He stepped forward, eyes flashing, barely containing his anger. His emotions were running wild in a way they hadn’t since he had given up drinking - grief and rage and hate and guilt and _fear_ bubbling together and making him _shake_. “You’re turning us against each other.” 

Clover’s badge dug into the palm of his hand, metal cold, blood dried. 

“From the reports, you are the one who killed one of my men,” Ironwood said, barely any emotion in his voice.

Qrow snarled at the words, anger burning _hot_ and he made another half step forward, gripping the badge so tightly he wondered if he was cutting into his own skin.

He didn’t care. 

“If you really believe I did that then you’re more delusional than I thought,” he growled. 

“Whatever the case, it doesn’t matter.” Ironwood turned away, the arm that wasn’t in a sling slipping behind his back. “Your students escaped with the new Winter Maiden - as soon as she is found I will use the relic to raise Atlas out of danger.” 

For a moment, Qrow felt a flicker of pride fight for acknowledgement amongst the rest of his boiling emotions. The kids could look after themselves - and now one of them was winter. With him far away, unable to bring them pain or death and foil their plans, they might actually have a chance. He briefly wondered who - Wiess maybe? - before turning his attention back to the problem at hand, the clearly unstable man in front of him. 

“Raise Atlas? James are you _mad_?” he snarled, stepping forward again. This time one of the robots behind him laid a hand on his arm, stopping him before he moved any closer, reminding him he was very much still a prisoner. “You’ll be abandoning Mantle - they _need help_. Salem is on her way _here_. You can’t just _run_!” 

Ironwood sighed, a deep, sad sigh, lifting his hand and staring down at it for a moment. Qrow glared at his back, gripping the badge in his hand tighter, wanting to _feel_ it. 

“I have no choice, Qrow.” He sighed again, turning back to face Qrow, almost-regret flashing across his face. “And I’m not going to let you stand in my way. I’m not going to let _anyone_ stand in my way.” For a moment, his gaze flickered across the vault, landing on the edge of the cliff, an expression crossing his face that caused Qrow’s heart to skip a beat. 

“What have you done?” he asked, his voice so low, so angry he almost didn’t hear it. 

“Ozpin - the boy - whatever. He tried to stop me. But this has to be done -” 

Cold fear washed over Qrow’s heart. He lunged forward, stopped by the two robots, teeth bared in a snarl. 

“What have you _done_?” he repeated, blood beating in his ears. 

Oscar. Oscar - he was just a _kid_ if Ironwood had hurt him - if _anything_ had happened. 

_This is my fault. This is all my fault. It’s_ always _my fault. I should have known it was too good to be true._

“I did what I had to.” 

The badge dug into his skin.

Oscar’s face flickered into Qrow’s mind - scared and afraid, back against a tree, cheek red from where Qrow had _hit him_. 

He was feeling that burning anger again, but more, more, more, and more guilt and grief and -

 _I never apologised. I never apologised and he’s_ gone _._

“Ozpin will be back soon enough,” Ironwood said, still in that same, emotionless tone. “It’s better this way - he was never strong enough to do what needed to be-” 

“He was a _kid_!” Qrow shouted. He lunged forward, ripping his arms free, vision blurred with rage and tears. 

He had no thoughts, no desires except to make someone _hurt_. To make someone else feel the aching rage and grief he was experiencing, to rip and tear and make _someone else pay for once_. 

But the two robots caught him before he could reach his former friend, dragging him back, hands leaving bruises on his arm. He was breathing heavily, barely noticing the tears down his cheek. 

“It was what needed to be done,” Ironwood said and Qrow _screamed_. Screamed for the second time that night, screamed because the world was against him - had _always_ been against him. Screamed because every time he thought he had something good it was taken away, because the world was cold and uncaring and he was a harbinger of _death_. 

He sagged in the robots’ grip, suddenly unable to fight anymore. Every time he tried the world just pushed back harder. Every time he thought he could grow close to someone it was ripped away from him. 

And there was no one to blame but himself. He should know better. Should know better than to allow himself to grow close to anyone. To be near anyone. 

“I’m sorry, old friend,” Ironwood said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. Qrow allowed the robots to turn, leading him out of the vault. But he looked back over his shoulder, eyes hard, eyes still wet with tears. 

“You’re going to pay for this, _coward_ ,” he snarled with the last of his anger. 

There was blood on his hands, and he wasn’t sure if it was Clover’s or his own. 

He hoped it was his own. 

**Author's Note:**

> So Lionheart the cowardly lion fell because he was afraid. 
> 
> And Ironwood the tinman fell because he lost his heart/humanity. 
> 
> Safe to say I’m a little worried about Qrow’s mental state in the next volume.


End file.
